In Division
by Coleiosis
Summary: After Ratchet and many others left the League of Heroes, only a small handful of fighters remain, unsure if they can defeat the evil that may strike. This gives two violent villains the perfect chance to make their move and cause mayhem once again. In what may be the last tale for one of the longest-running fanfiction series, good shall never fall at the knees of evil!


Coleiosis Media and Varia31 Productions present…  
PlayStation All-Stars

In Division

by Cole Bezotte and Forrest Eaton

Introduction

Yeah, things have been very rough for the past few months. There has not been very high demand for stories like this. And it may seem like the final chapter in the reboot series of one of the longest-running fanfiction series. Started in May 2013, the PlayStation All-Stars series may have faltered in story plot and dialogue, but never in production process. The original series was cancelled and discontinued in July 2014 due to it being too sexual, gory, and over-the-top dark. Since then, the reboot had brought out what we would TRULY consider the best, continuing to keep a steady balance in family-friendliness. However, after many personal faults and screw-ups, we felt the need to finally put all this to rest and create what may seem to be the last chapter for the enjoyment of all viewers. Even the Super Sonic Squad series met its end in October 2016, with no more episodes to be written and produced. However, that does not mean it's all over; we are still currently producing audio adaptions of these fanfics. And so, ladies and gentlemen, sit back and enjoy our tale. This goes out to our friends of past and present. We love you all.

In Division

Dark clouds loomed over Midtown Suburbs. No one dared to step foot outside their homes, never desiring to be caught outside on a day like this. They continued to do their usual businesses and pastimes, never caring what could possibly occur throughout the rest of the suburban area. But as for the preacher known as Jebidiah, he felt it in his bones that some evil may strike any moment. He figured it would be easier for evildoers to fulfill their devious deeds now that the League of Heroes had fallen short in number. A large majority of the team had broken up and had gone to their homes to keep away from each other. This had left the remainder devastated and short-handed; only Nathan Drake, Raiden, Cole MacGrath, Solid Snake, Lan Hikari and Mega Man, and Pupuru remained.  
"She still hasn't left her room left…" Nathan sighed. All members—except Lan and Pupuru—sat in the living room of their mansion, still pondering over the thoughts that could never seem to leave their weary heads. Nate continued to look up the staircase that led to where the poor girl kept herself.  
"Can we even guess how long it will be until she finally comes down?" Raiden spoke.  
"We may never know for sure…" Snake replied. "It hurts, I know…"  
Nathan sighed again. "She was the main reason Ratchet put this team together in the first place," he continued. "They meant so much to each other, like a father loves his daughter. I don't think we can hire anyone else to take Ratchet's place; Agent Shepherd has already assigned Lan to that position. But, come to think of it… I don't think Lan feels ready to carry on with it."  
"We shouldn't even TRY to get other guys into our group," Cole replied. "We can't just get anyone like Pac-Man, Sonic, or even Ryu to take everyone else's place."  
"This sucks! We need to take a different approach on this! Snake, you come with me. We'll be meeting with someone who's been witnessing everything that's unfolded in this town. And I think I know just the person…"  
"Glad to help…" Snake muttered in reply.  
Meanwhile, in one of the rooms on the top floor of the mansion, young Lan Hikari sat at his computer desk scrolling through every news feed he found online. All he could find was the story of many of the team members' departure. He could never escape the words that were captivated in his sight, the depression within him increasing. Some speculated that the Lombax race was no longer willing to make peace with the human race; but the true reason was that they could not settle their differences with the rest of the team.  
"It's all over the news…" Lan thought aloud. "I should have been there to prevent those arguments, those debates… Some leader I turned out to be!"  
"Don't blame yourself for all the trouble, Lan," spoke a familiar voice in reply. It was his NetNavi known as Mega Man, speaking to him through his trusty PET (Personal Terminal). "You didn't start those arguments. They didn't involve you, they never talked about you. It was only THEIR problems."  
"I know, Mega Man… I'm still the leader of this team, so I feel like it's my responsibility to direct it all. I should've realized that all this just isn't peaches-and-cream for me. Being a leader means so much more than what I thought."  
"It's alright, Lan… I know how stressful this may be. But Agent Shepherd assigned you the job so you can prove yourself trustworthy, and show that you have potential. You and I have built so much chemistry over the years, so we make more than a team when we're fighting alongside with the League of Heroes."  
"There's got to be an answer somewhere… I hate to see Pupuru so shaken up. Mega Man, get some coffee ready. I'm gonna do some research…on our worst enemies that constantly come back for more rounds of pain…"

Later that same day, in the office of Jebidiah, the preacher still thought about the most recent events, as Nathan and Snake sat across from him, the desk in between. "I still cannot understand why the Lombax race is not at peace," the old man spoke as the three subjects went deeper into conversation. "It had been almost a year since the death of Agent Stone, the traitor… Can it be that they are still afraid?"  
"We honestly don't know," Nathan replied. "But it was actually because of many unneeded debates that they broke away from us. Can you at least tell us where one of them went?"  
"The last time I saw Donna was not too long ago. I saw her walking this way, carrying three packed bags. She was heading in the direction of the airport; it was clear to me that it was where her ship was docked."  
"It had been only a few months after she introduced us to poor Ruth. I don't understand what's going on inside their heads. I wish I knew…"  
"So do I, but we mustn't pry…"  
"I think we should get going and talk to Donna…"  
"No! I would not recommend you follow her. Don't try to pursue the problem even further. She will refuse!"  
"Maybe you're right," Snake spoke. "But I still can't get off my mind the possibility of a good change. Even Kat and Raven left because they feared Pupuru's safety…and her sanity…"  
"If it's a change you want…" Jebidiah continued, "…do you have the faith believe it?"  
"We can tell other people about…having faith. What we had faith in. What we found important enough to fight for. It's not whether we are right or wrong, but how much faith we are willing to have, that decides the future."  
"Well spoken… Go, then. I must be alone now. I will pray about it…"  
"Thank you, sir," Nathan replied, shaking Jebidiah's hand and walking out with Snake. "We'll see what we can do…"  
"Lord help us all…" the preacher whispered.

As the looming clouds grew darker, the expected danger had finally arrived at the suburbs. Fulfilling the revenge he desired a long while ago, the dastardly murderer known as Needles drove his dangerous ice cream truck towards what used to be a safe place to reside. It was thanks to the power of the mysterious Cosmic Key that he finally made his way back to the surface of the Earth, in which the tool was once used by the Grim Reaper form of Grimroth Razz.  
"At last!" Needles exclaimed aloud as he activated the weapons on his truck. "With that pathetic Lombax race out of the way, I can finally focus on my main target! Pupuru is the one I've been after for all these years, and it looks like I'll get the chance of ending her! Ooh…I finally get to cut her! And NOTHING will stand in my way!"  
As the mad clown began his attack upon Midtown Suburbs, many took notice and realized that the League of Heroes was not willing to prevent it at first. Radio talk shows rapidly spread the word that Needles was at large and still the most dangerous threat to the world. One radio station in particular, known as W.M.I.T., talked the most about it, its reporters constantly ranting that the League of Heroes was not there at all to defend the suburbs—or at least what was left of it.

 _"Next caller… What's on your mind tonight, eh…father? It says here you're a preacher of some kind or something…"_  
 _"I am not the one to be called 'father'! I am not the person to look to for all the answers, for they all are found in the Heavenly Father above."_  
 _"So this God you follow knows the reason why the League of Heroes are too lazy to come out and fight this creep off? Can He tell when they'll finally take action?"_  
 _"None can say…but only HE can. I am still praying for the answer I crave, for the burning question that continues to haunt me: are we safe? Are we still defended? Can this pursuing evil be punished? I know Ratchet and many others no longer desire to become part of the defenders of our city. But there should still be hope. There should still be a way!"_

And at that same moment, at a secret hideout occupied by the mad scientist Dr. Eggman, the evil genius watched as Needles continued to massacre the town. Though he and the psychopathic clown had been rivals for a long time, Eggman felt the need to let this happen to fulfill a part of a new diabolical scheme he was hatching.  
"Isn't this a beautiful sight?" he spoke to his two robot lackeys Orbot and Cubot. "That crappy clown is doing all the grunt work for me while I get to kick back and relax. My playing part in all this will be placing my new Eggmanland in place of the suburbs!"  
"But how will you do that?" replied Cubot.  
"My fleabots will be using micro-particle acceleration to build Eggmanland from the bottom up. It will look like the structures are forming by themselves, but it will be thanks to my tiny robots that all of it will build up molecule by molecule."  
"Sounds very splendid, boss!" spoke Orbot. "Very logical!"  
"You two are required to stay here while I get to that clown myself. Don't follow me. He's about to meet his match: me! Sweet victory, here I come!"  
Once the doctor arrived at the horrible scene unfolding, hopes rose within him for the demise of Needles and the creation of his dream city. His worst enemy Sonic the Hedgehog would not have come to the rescue of those innocent victims of Needles' killing methods. He was too far away to heed the call, all the way in Brooklyn, New York; he would not have even been able to stop Eggman in his new plan.  
Needles heard the coming of Dr. Eggman's vehicle, the Egg Mobile, and turned to see he who had come to frustrate his plans for manslaughter and the destruction of the city.  
"You!" Needles shouted at him. "Get out of here before I GUT you!"  
"My dear Needles…" Eggman replied. "I just want to compliment you on your nice handiwork. Now that your purpose has been served, I'll happily take things from here! I'd like to take this job off your hands!"  
"This is MY job and MINE ALONE!" Needles retorted as he pulled a switch next to the steering wheel of his truck. His truck shifted and transformed into its Sweet Bot mode, which allowed the vehicle to walk on two mechanical feet and fly using its attached jet pack. "I'm giving you one last chance to leave! If you don't, I'll MAKE you do it!"  
With those words of warning said, the Sweet Bot lunged a mechanical fist towards Eggman's vehicle. But even the evil genius mastermind had a similar trick up his own sleeve. Dodging the reaching fist, he flew his Egg Mobile towards a strange-looking robot that he kept near the water tower before he began constructing his new Eggmanland. It was an old giant robot he had used years before, known as the Egg Dragoon; he figured he needed to use something similar to Needles' powerful truck, and had brought it along with him to fight against the psychotic clown.  
"As I had promised before…" Dr. Eggman spoke as he entered the cockpit of the Egg Dragoon, grasping the controls, "…you're about to meet your match! And I will be the one to throw you out of the way of my plans… especially my desires of destroying Sonic once and for all!"  
"We should never have crossed paths, Julian!" Needles replied, activating the mounted machine guns on his truck. "If you think science is all you need, it won't work!"  
"At least I'm not the one obsessing over brute strength like you are!"  
The fists of the two giant piloted robots clashed with each other, exchanging blow after blow, each desiring to gain the upper hand in this head-to-head combat. But the more they fought, the more damage was done to the suburbs.

 _"Now do you see? Evil has returned in double! Do we dare shut our eyes to the occurrence of destruction and desolation? Do we dare sit back and watch as it all crumbles down? Lord, give us hope! Lord, give us protection! Let this not be our armageddon!"_

Those words Jebidiah said on the air of the radio show were the last Lan wanted to hear before he shut his radio off. The stress of being an irresponsible leader, mixed with the danger that lurked outside the mansion, was too much for him. All he could do was place his face in the palms of his hands and attempt to force out the pressure that continued to push upon his mind.  
"Lan!" Mega Man exclaimed. "Take it easy! Don't hurt yourself! I don't want to see you do that!"  
"I just don't know what to do anymore!" Lan replied. "I've already tried thinking so hard of ideas, of…"  
"You don't don't know what to say, do you?"  
"No, I don't. I'll have to meet with the others downstairs. Man… things have been too different ever since Ratchet left. Where is he when we need him?"  
"Lan… I'm worried about you. I know things have been too different, but I've told you before not to beat yourself up over it. Even without Ratchet, we've been able to defeat the enemy, especially Needles out there. Don't you remember the perseverance we've had over the years? Even when the whole team wasn't there with us, we've managed to pull through so many challenging obstacles. The last time we've fought that clown freak, we were the ones who finished the job while we cross-fused. Don't you think we're strong enough to defeat him yet again? At least I do…  
"Lan… You're like a brother to me. I really hate to see you so discouraged, so stressed. It hurts so much, but at least I know you're probably feeling the same way Pupuru does. She's grieved the most that Ratchet is gone, and I know the rest of you feel that we'd be lost without him. But even with our numbers shortened, we can still fight on and prove ourselves still as strong as ever. We heard what the preacher said. We can't stand by and let the destruction go on. We have to get back up and take that chance of making things right. They're all counting on us…"  
Lan looked out the window one more time. As he heard those words from a well-meaning friend, he knew what he had been missing out on all along: the privilege to fight for good. Perseverance was all he needed. "Alright, Mega Man!" he sobbed. "I understand now! We're heading out there!"  
"There you go!" Mega Man replied in encouragement. "That's the Lan Hikari I know! I knew you wouldn't give up so easily! We need to go tell the others before things get worse out there!"  
"Right! I've got a special part for you in this fight! I'm gonna jack you into Needles' truck! We'll destroy it from its mainframe!"  
"Alright! Let's do this!"

One minute later, the others had heard of Lan's excitement to plunge deep into the occurring battle. "So that's what you want to do?" Nathan spoke after hearing all.  
"We can't just stall here!" Lan replied hastily. "Mega Man and I already have part of the plan worked out! Even without Ratchet, we can still succeed!"  
"If that's what you believe, then you at last agree with the rest of us. After that talk we had with Rev. Jebidiah, we all had an agreement about heading out there. We just needed to wait for you and Mega Man, that's all."  
"Yes! We're finally back in action!"  
"That does it!" Cole MacGrath spoke. "Come on, guys! Let's get it on!"

In merely seconds, the League of Heroes had arrived at the unfolding battle between the two madmen. Both robot combatants fired their mounted machine guns and missiles at each other, causing small explosions to erupt at both sides.  
Raiden was the first to throw himself into the action, creating a diversion for Dr. Eggman to turn his attention elsewhere. "Hey!" he assured the others. "I got this! I've got a cool toy to share with him."  
Eggman's sight suddenly fixed itself upon Raiden, controlling his robot to change direction and aim for his new target. "Do you have to butt in?" he exclaimed rudely. "I had everything under control!"  
"Like technology?" Raiden teased in reply. "Try messing with THIS!" With those words spoken, he hurled his L'Étranger at the Egg Dragoon and lassoed it; the lightning-powered electricity short-circuited the mechanical beast, bringing it down to the ground and rendering it immobile and useless.  
"You imbecile!" Eggman shouted. "I'm really pissed off now! I thought you were helpless without that Lombax freak! You should realize that you're fighting a super genius AND a former war general! I still have the skills of when I fought in the Great War of Mobius, and I shall use them to bring you to your knees!"  
"You sucker!" spoke Snake from behind. "Wanna go head-to-head with a REAL soldier?"  
"Don't mind if I do!" Eggman replied, smiling evilly. He found this as a perfect opportunity to match wits with another middle-aged soldier; fighting head-to-head with Snake made him forget Needles, making Raiden's distraction work perfectly.  
"Show me what you've got!" Snake taunted, drawing an XM16E1 rifle from his back holster.  
"I already have it beneath my sleeve!" Eggman boasted in reply, pulling down the left sleeve of his uniform. "My roboticized left arm will serve me well!"  
In his first attempt, Snake fired the first wave of bullets from his rifle, only to see them bounce off and deflect from Eggman's mechanical arm. Nathan saw how difficult it would be for Snake to apprehend the madman and saw this as his cue to enter the fray. "That's not a good sign!" he thought as he drew out a pistol from his holster. "I'll let TWO of us play at this game!"  
As Dr. Eggman attempted to crush the two foes he faced, Lan found this as his opportunity to put his idea into effect. While Raiden and Cole held Needles at bay, Lan aimed his PET at the front of the transformed ice cream truck, about to jack Mega Man into it and destroy it from the inside.  
"Alright, Mega Man!" Lan exclaimed over the chaos. "Are you ready for this?"  
"You bet I am!" Mega Man replied excitedly. "This is our big moment!"  
"Okay… here we go! Mega Man…jack in!"  
And with the press of a button, Lan transmitted the brave Mega Man into the cyberworld, where the truck's mainframe was kept. And right where he suspected, he found another NetNavi—like another Sweet Bot, but for the cyberworld—heavily armored and combat-ready. "This is unexpected!" the Navi known as Sweet-Toothimus Prime thought inside his memory banks. "I've seen this one before! I better tell the boss to activate the security system!"  
"Not so fast!" Mega Man spoke to him tauntingly. "Your driver is about to get a speeding ticket! It's never cool to break traffic laws!"  
"You fool! This is a vehicle of DESTRUCTION AND CHAOS! The master uses it for his own purposes!"  
"Oh really…? Then why doesn't he eat any of the frozen sweet treats in the freezer? It can't simply be called 'Sweet Tooth' for nothing."  
"Enough of your mockery! Prepare to be deleted, you spineless milksop!" After giving that warning, Prime activated the machine gun built into his right palm, firing laser blasts from his hand. Mega Man hurriedly ran to the side, dodging the first wave of blasts that came his way.  
"I've got something of my own, punk!" he taunted, giving Lan the signal to insert the first Battle Chip. Once the downloading process was complete, the trusty Mega Buster formed in Mega Man's right hand; he quickly turned and opened fire the same way Prime did before.  
"Returning fire with fire, eh?" Prime said, flying away from the blasts. "I've got something for you!" Very easily, he detached his devilishly-grinning clown head and hurled it at his opponent with all the artificial might he could harness.  
But much to the evil one's surprise, Mega Man did not find himself helpless at all. Keeping his mind focused, he felt Lan insert a Wide Sword chip, then a Long Sword chip, consecutively in that order with the same code. And combining both their powers, using the Program Advance, Mega Man formed an enormously powerful offense move, the Life Sword Program Advance. With all the power it contained, he shot a brightly-glowing energy beam at the enemy, destroying Prime completely and the truck's power in the process.  
Back outside in the real world, Needles grew angrier than ever once he escaped his exploding truck. He looked back to see who had destroyed his NetNavi and wrecked his favorite vehicle: Lan Hikari stood at a safe distance, retrieving Mega Man back into his PET before he could be destroyed and deleted by the powerful explosion. "What a sweet exploit!" Lan exclaimed excitedly. "I guess I should have realized it sooner, that we're still as strong as before!"  
"Don't frustrate me now!" Needles shouted in all his rage. "When I tell you to die, YOU DIE!"  
The scream startled Lan; he did not hear the click of the madman's shotgun until he heard Raiden suddenly shout "GET DOWN!" But it was all Lan could hear before a sudden sharp pain entered his chest. His ears rang loudly as he felt himself lose his balance, his eyes seeing only a flashing white light. He struggled to blink in hopes of regaining his sight, but no luck. He could not move his limbs to stand back up; he felt completely immobile and numb. But the pain in his chest bothered him the most. Mega Man cried to him, but Lan did not hear the wails of his friend; the will to move left his body, as the will to live soon would.  
Snake quickly shoved Dr. Eggman into the cockpit of the wrecked Egg Dragoon, taking care of the rest of the battle as Nathan desperately ran to where Lan lied. "Lan!" he shouted. Shaking with fear, he knelt down to feel the boy's fading pulse. A feeling of sadness mixed with anger overtook him; Needles had performed his dreamed murderous deed, still remaining as the most dangerous foe anyone had ever faced.  
"I swear to God…" Nate whimpered, "…he'll pay for this!" Behind him, Raiden and Cole bound up he who was near victory in what seemed to be the toughest battle the League of Heroes had ever encountered. Even at that moment, the supporting Agent Shepherd came to see what remained of the scene. Looking down at poor Lan, he saw the PET had slipped from the boy's trembling hands; it seemed the terrified Mega Man would no longer have an owner. Even Jebidiah was grieved at this sight; the job was done, but one brave hero had fallen.  
"Lord…" he quietly prayed. "Is there still hope for this young one? Is there still a chance for his revival?"  
"I think…" Agent Shepherd spoke, an idea sparking within his brain. "Men, set up a Dimensional Area and fast! There may still be a chance to revive him! Hurry!"  
With the soldiers moving very quickly to plant the Dimensional Area Generators, and Jebidiah still praying for the wanted hope, a dim flicker of courage was found in the heart of Nathan Drake as the clouds began to depart from each other. And once the generators were in place, Shepherd's top sergeant was given the order to put the final phase into action. "I'm counting on you to do the final part…" he spoke to him.  
"As you wish, sir," the soldier replied. But one look at the device he held made Agent Shepherd very unsure.  
"You do realize that's a ColecoVision controller you're holding…" he exclaimed. "This is no time for games!"  
"You don't get it. I modded this thing myself! Once I press the '0' button, the field will be up. Watch…"  
And with the press of that button, the Dimensional Area appeared, allowing NetNavis to enter the real world only in that limited area, and for Navis to cross-fuse with their operators. Now Shepherd understood and was more than impressed. "Sergeant…" he muttered "I'll need you to tell me how to make one of my own. I've got an old ColecoVision at home."  
Mega Man was free to enter the area that had been set up, covering all combatants and vehicles used in the battle. With tears staining his cheeks, he pushed the bound Needles into the Egg Dragoon's cockpit along with Eggman. "I'm taking you bastards to where you belong!" he hissed. "No one…NO ONE…kills my brother!"  
Needles and Eggman did not remember how it happened exactly, but they soon found themselves rocketing upward into outer space above, both trapped in the enclosed cockpit as their only source of oxygen. Perhaps it was the only best solution to be alone with each other, fighting and bickering like children.  
Back upon the surface of Earth, the emotional NetNavi tried to prevent his hands from shaking. Now that he was in the field, it was time for him to do what Agent Shepherd had in mind. "You can do this…" he assured himself. "Don't get too scared… Just cross-fuse with Lan and it will all be over. Let's see if this works…"  
All everyone saw next was a bright light that glowed for approximately five seconds. And when that light finally faded, there was Lan fully cross-fused with his faithful brother figure; his chest no longer bleeding, the shotgun's bullet fallen to the ground. To everyone's excitement, Lan finally stood to his feet, hearing Mega Man's voice crying out: "Lan! It worked!"  
Jebidiah saw the event unfold right in front of him, grateful that his desperate prayer had been answered. "Praise the Lord!" he thought. "I shall give Him countless thanks!"  
"Ah, Mega Man!" Lan happily exclaimed. "How the heck can I hug you now?"  
"Gee!" Mega Man jokingly replied. "What a disadvantage of Cross Fusion! Lan, I just want to say…thank you for finding that courage to step up, and to fight again."  
"I think ALL of us deserve the credit! The others have been part of the team since the beginning. And I'm glad to say…this team shall STILL live on to fight another day! Thanks, guys! Let's hope that Pupuru can rest easy now."  
The sun finally shone down upon the city that day. The League of Heroes pledged to continue their good works, even without their former members. Perseverance and courage were what they needed, and so they had kept those traits within their hearts.

About an hour later, while the suburbs were under heavy construction for repair, Jebidiah made his way to the planet Kerwan after a rather dizzy trip. In the city known as Metropolis, he approached the front porch of the Lombax known as Donna, the one he had mentioned earlier. He boldly knocked on the door and waited for her to answer; but she did not dare come after all that had happened that made her leave the group. Jebidiah saw her through one of the windows; Donna did not move at all from where she sat, deep in thought.  
"Perhaps another prayer is needed for this…" the preacher thought to himself. "It just comes to that old saying that for every heartbreak, there is an embrace. Lord help us all…"

 **Special thanks go to T.J. Fixman, David Jaffe, Scott Campbell, Amy Hennig, Nathan Fox, Hideo Kojima, Keiji Inafune, Naoto Ōshima, J.S. Gilbert, Nolan North, Eric Ladin, David Hayter, Quinton Flynn, Brad Swaile, Andrew Francis, Robert Ayres, Mike Pollock, Kirk Thornton, Wally Wingert, and Scott MacDonald.**

 **The biggest thanks go to those whom we were associated with in the past and present, including Sofie-Spangenberg, GeneralRatchet, CarnageXGames, and parents and siblings of the writers and editors of this story. This is all we can say now. It has been a pleasure writing the PlayStation All-Stars series and the Super Sonic Squad series.**

 **Super Sonic Squad — May 2011-February 2012, February 2014-November 2016**

 **PlayStation All-Stars — May 2013-July 2014, August 2014-October 2017**


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